Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t beat around the bush when talking about the play of former prospect Vaughn Grissom. The right-handed second baseman was sent down to the minor leagues on Thursday.

Grissom was batting .176 in spring training with just six hits while driving in three runs in spring training.

Once regarded as a top prospect in 2022, Vaughn has endured recent struggles due to injury. Last season, Grissom was sent down to Triple-A due to a hamstring injury. Cora kept Grissom in Triple-A after he was off the injured list as the Red Sox were mounting a playoff run.

Grissom was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2022. In 2023, he was traded to the Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Chris Sale.

In 2024, Grissom injured his groin in his first spring training with Boston. He batted .190, grabbed 20 hits, scored 10 runs, and drove in six runs.

What does the future hold for Vaughn Grissom with Red Sox?

Grissom has had a rough go of it. This is a case of history repeating itself with no real sense of where Grissom goes next. Cora made it clear as to why he made this decision per MLB.com reporter Ian Browne.

“He did everything possible in the offseason,” the Red Sox skipper said. “He killed it. We asked him to show up at 220, he showed up at 221. He turned the double play well. There’s a few things that we talked about that I think he can do better defensively. But it was like, ‘just go down there and do your thing.’ As a player, especially where we’re at [as an organization] right now, ‘just go down there and kill it. Be selfish. Do your thing, show everybody that you can be a big leaguer, and not only with us, right? I think in the industry.

“Show them that you’re still young, you’re still a good athlete. But this is the route we’re going. We haven’t yet made a decision about second base, but we’re getting close, and he’s not in the equation. He needs to play too. He has to go down there and play.”

The Red Sox’s second base position remains up for grabs.